Dobie edges Stratford 1-0 in 9

SARAH HORNADAY, Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Published
5:30 am CDT, Thursday, May 6, 2004

MISSOURI CITY -- It's pretty obvious, Dobie doesn't want its softball season to end. The Longhorns won their second straight extra-inning game, going nine innings to beat Stratford 1-0 in a Class 5A Region III area playoff game Wednesday.

The Longhorns stranded four runners at second or third in the first eight innings, including a runner on second in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Dobie had at least one runner on in eight of the first nine innings.

No. 9 hitter Janet Rendon hit a grounder up the third-base line to score Gomez. Stratford third baseman Alex Colyer had a hard time getting a handle on the ball to make a throw. By the time she looked up with the ball in her hand, the runners were safe and the game was over.

Dobie, District 23-5A's third-place team, advances to the regional quarterfinals against the winner of Friday's Baytown Sterling-La Porte game. This is the third consecutive year Dobie and District 21-5A champion Stratford (22-3) have faced off in the area round. Last year, Stratford won. In 2002, Dobie won.

Stratford had only one runner in scoring position in the first nine innings. Jennifer Hicks led off the eighth with a double to right-center field. She advanced to third on Sydney Day's ground out but was stranded when Krystin Hensley hit into a double play.